Investors Turn Cold Shoulder to LookSmart

Despite a booming market for paid search, LookSmart’s stock has lingered below the $1 mark for more than 30 days, prompting Nasdaq to warn the company of possible delisting.

To continue to be listed on the exchange, LookSmart’s shares must trade above $1 for at least 10 of the next 180 days. The bad news comes as other players in search, such as Google and Yahoo, report strong growth.

Potential remedies for LookSmart include a reverse stock split and a move to the Nasdaq Small Cap Market.

More recently, the company said it failed to pursue the types of advertisers it would need to capitalize on search volume. That disappointing news followed the appointment of a new CEO and a management shakeup — changes aimed at reversing the company’s fortunes.

Emotion can be very powerful when trying to reach an audience, and it can be boosted by linking it with the way memory affects human behaviour. How can all of this apply to the demanding mobile audience?